This site needs JavaScript to work properly. Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features!
Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

NIH NLM Logo
Log in
Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Jul 24;8(7):e3030.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003030. eCollection 2014 Jul.

The incidence of Japanese encephalitis in Taiwan--a population-based study

Affiliations

The incidence of Japanese encephalitis in Taiwan--a population-based study

Li-Ching Hsu et al. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. .

Abstract

Background: A mass Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccination program targeting children was launched in Taiwan in 1968, and the number of pediatric JE cases substantially decreased thereafter. The aim of this study was to elucidate the long-term trend of JE incidence, and to investigate the age-specific seroprevalence of JE-neutralizing antibodies.

Methodology/principal findings: A total of 2,948 laboratory-confirmed JE cases that occurred between 1966 and 2012 were analyzed using a mandatory notification system managed by the Centers for Disease Control, Taiwan. A total of 6,594 randomly-sampled serum specimens obtained in a nationwide population-based survey in 2002 were analyzed to estimate the seroprevalence of JE-neutralizing antibodies in the general population. The average annual JE incidence rate of the group aged 30 years and older was 0.167 cases per 100,000 people between 2001 and 2012, which was higher than the 0.052 cases per 100,000 people among those aged under 30 years. These seroepidemiological findings indicate that the cohort born between 1963 and 1975, who generally received two or three doses of the vaccine and were administered the last booster dose more than 20 years ago, exhibited the lowest positive rate of JE-neutralizing antibodies (54%). The highest and second highest antibody rates were observed, respectively, in the oldest unvaccinated cohort (86%) and in the youngest cohort born between 1981 and 1986, who received four doses 10-15 years ago (74%).

Conclusion/significance: Over the past decade, the main age group of the confirmed JE cases in Taiwan shifted from young children to adults over 30 years of age. People who were born between 1963 and 1975 exhibited the lowest seroprevalence of JE-neutralizing antibodies. Thus, the key issue for JE control in Taiwan is to reduce adult JE cases through a cost-effective analysis of various immunization strategies.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. The cases number of Japanese Encephalitis and incidence rate in Taiwan during 1966–2012.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Age-specific incidence rates of Japanese Encephalitis during 1966–2012.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Japanese Encephalitis incidence rates among different birth cohorts during 1966–2012.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Seropositive rates of Japanese Encephalitis neutralizing antibody by birth year (age at blood drawn).

References

    1. Misra UK, Kalita J (2010) Overview: Japanese encephalitis. Prog Neurobiol 91: 108–120. - PubMed
    1. Hills S, Dabbagh A, Jacobson J, Marfin A, Featherstone D, et al. (2009) Evidence and rationale for the World Health Organization recommended standards for Japanese encephalitis surveillance. BMC Infect Dis 9: 214. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Erlanger TE (2009) Past, Present, and Future of Japanese Encephalitis. Emerging Infectious Diseases 15: 1–7. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Campbell GL, Hills SL, Fischer M, Jacobson JA, Hoke CH, et al. (2011) Estimated global incidence of Japanese encephalitis: a systematic review. Bull World Health Organ 89: 766–774E, 766-774, 774A-774E. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Solomon T (2006) Control of Japanese encephalitis–within our grasp? N Engl J Med 355: 869–871. - PubMed

Publication types

Full text links
Public Library of Science full text link Public Library of Science Free PMC article
Cite

AltStyle によって変換されたページ (->オリジナル) /